“Batteries not included”

Most of us, as adults, have that one thing that keeps us moving. We have the one passion, the one idea the one goal that keeps us moving forward from day to day. For some of us that is something as beautiful and precious as the smile of a child or teaching someone how to read, how to dance…….It is something tangible and for most, those types of goals/ideas/passions make sense.

There are a growing number of people however, for whom their passion is an ever evolving animal. When I began playing around with triathlons six years ago, they were my passion. I wanted to be a Triathlete! I trained hard and focused a great majority of my energy on doing what was necessary to at least place in the top ten of my age group…..There was something lacking on my part though. I was, and still am, a two sport athlete. I became pretty strong at the bike portion and did alright for the run – all things considered. That swim though! I jokingly tell people when discussing the topic that I am not a swimmer but a sinker. Well, I am only half joking! You know what? That’s quite alright with me because now I have realized that the purpose of the triathlons was not to make me a great triathlete, rather to re-introduce me to the art of competing (against myself).

Yes, yes, I know. We are all competing against one another for something but you know what drives me….competing against the most recent, best version of myself. Hence, the reason why I graduated from running 5 K’s and 10 K’s 5 years ago to running marathons and ultra-marathons in the last 2 years. How far can I push myself? What can I do better/different/faster to make me a better runner? That drive to compete keeps me pushing forward! Am I competing with the woman next to me? Yes and no. Mostly I am competing with the woman INSIDE of me…..

My “batteries”, the charge I receive, is from an internal need, for lack of a better word at the moment, to persevere – in spite of or perhaps even because of all the odds stacked against me. To explain this to someone who has as their passion something a little less competitive or a little more run of the mill is next to impossible. In fact, if someone had told me 5 years ago that my goal would be to run 100 miles in 30 hours, I would have promptly informed them that they were NUTS!

The charge I get from running out on the trail is……..hard to put into words. It’s like, how to do you describe love to someone who’s never been in love or that feeling at 2 a.m when the baby you adore and who simply won’t stop crying, finally does stop crying and lays nestled in your arms? The feeling running brings is like one of those feelings. It’s not about the distance, or the act of running in and of itself….it’s the FEELING.